Christians Unite in Support of Norwegian Family after Authorities Seize Children

Christians around the world are uniting in support of a Norwegian family whose five children were taken away by the government on indoctrination charges. WORLD Magazine reports Marius and Ruth Bodnariu have been accused of Christian radicalism for raising their children with Christian beliefs.

According to WORLD, the Bodnariu’s two daughters were interrogated after their school principal expressed concerns about their “very Christian” upbringing. During questioning, the girls said that they sometimes hid things from their parents to avoid being punished.

One daughter also reported that Marius Bodnariu had shaken her 3-month-old baby brother “as a rag” when he reached up and pulled the glasses off his face.

Bodnariu refutes the claim, saying that he bounced the baby with delight after he reached up to him for the first time.

Marius’ brother Daniel Bodnariu wrote, “Children can see things differently, and sometimes misinterpret some of our actions, or certain events. You can easily manipulate a child to say something that is not true. The law in Norway gives almost total credibility to the child and none to the parent. Some situations are seen differently by children [and] it seems a monstrosity to exploit this to the detriment of the family.”

After questioning, the government removed the two daughters and three sons from the Bodnariu’s custody. The five children are now in separate foster homes. None of the children show any signs of abuse.

An online petition to return the children to their parents has garnered over 56,000 signatures.